Device for receiving and delivering mail-bags from cars.



PATENTED MAY 9, 1905.

W. RINGWOOD. DEVICE FOR RECEIVING AND DELIVERING MAIL BAGS FROM CARS.

APPLIUATION FILED AUG. 29,1904.

E? Ill 3 SHEETSSHEET 1.

PATENTED MAY 9, 1905.

W. RINGWOOD,

DEVICE FOR RECEIVING AND DELIVERING MAIL BAG-S FROM CARS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.29,1904.

3 8HBETS-SHEET 2.

FRGQZ.

WITNESSES:

PATENTED MAY 9, 1905.

W. RINGWOOD.

DEVICE FOR RECEIVING AND DELIVERING MAIL BAGS FROM CARS.

APPLIUATION FILED AUG. 29,1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

m y W/ WHTNESSESf @MCA) J i arts Patented May 9, 1905.

ATFT tribe.

WILLIAM RlNGWOOl'), OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 789,507, dated May 9, 1905.

Application filed August 29, 1904. Serial No. 222,558.

I!) all 11/71/0712, 2 nz/u/y cancer/1,.-

Be it known that 1, i Vnztmn RINGWOOI), a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Devices for Receiving and Delivering lWIail-Bags from Cars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for receiving and delivering mail-bags from cars. Dcvices heretofore employed for this purpose have not been adapted for use in connection with cars in rapid motion, and when attempts have been made to use them under such condition they have proved unreliable, and, moreover, have frequently torn and otherwise damaged the bags.

This invention embodies means for receiving the shock of the impact. so as to overcome this difiiculty which has been in large measnse responsible for the failures. Other advantages and novel features besides this are found in the invention to which attention will be directed in the course of the following specification, where all parts of the device are particularly described.

in the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the several parts of the device in po sition foro 'ieration. Fig. 2 is a similar View, modified forms of several of the parts being shown. Fig. 3 is a similar view, other modified forms being shown. Fig. 4. is a longitudinal section on the line 4t 4 of Fig. Fig. shows in perspective a portion of one of the parts shown in Fig. 3, and Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

The device is adapted to take up while the car is in motion one or more n'iail-bags upon an attachment fixed to the car from another device as one of the two devices passes the other and at the same time, if desired, to deliver other bags from the device on the car to the other device. Figs. 1, 2, and 3 all show the device in this connection and the several parts in their respective positionsimmediately before the transfer.

The device to which the bags are delivered from the car and from which they are received into the car comprises a standard of suitable construction and means attached thereto for holding the bags that are to be taken up by the car in proper position, and also means for receiving bags from the car in exchange. Such a standard is represented by 1 in Figs. 1 and 2, where it is shown attached to a pier 2, that is located between two tracks. The bolts 3, by which the standard 1 is attached to the pier 2, are represented in Fig. 2 as lying in slots 4 in the base of the standard, so that the standard may be turned upon the pier for adjustment. A stationary standard between two tracks is adapted to take and deliver bags from cars rmming on either track.

The horizontal arms that are attached to the standards and deliver and receive the bagsare somewhat different in these two figures, so that they can best be described separately. Referring, therefore, first to Fig. 1, the arm 5 is attached to the standard 1 by a threaded bolt 6 upon and rigidly connected with the standard, and the nuts 7 and 8, which engage the bracket 9, that is attached to the under side of the arm This connection makes it possible to adjust the height of the arm 5 and to lock it in place. Other suitable means may be employed for these purposes instead of those shown. The arm 5 is tapered at each end, as represented, and flat springs 10 are attached to its under side on each side of said bracket, one end of each of said springs being secured to the bar and its other end to the bracket 9. The purpose for which the end of the bar is tapered and the functions of the springs will presently appear. A similar standard and arm are carried by the car. This second standard 11 is secured within the car near the door. as represented in Fig. 1, and is provided with a supporting-arm 12, that is adapted to project out through the door and support at its outer end the delivering and receiving arm 13. Fig. 4 shows in section the construction of the supporting-arm 12, which enables the delivering and receiving arm 13 to be turned through its vertical plane, so that the arm 13 can be drawn through the doorway into the car when said arm is longer than the width of the doorway. If, as represented in the drawings, the arm 13 is too long to be drawn through the doorway even when it has been turned at right angles to its present position or in a position diagonal to the doorway, the following procedure is followed. The

arm 13 is rotated upon the supporting-arm 12, pivotally attached to the bolt lsl at the end of the standard, till it is approximately at right angles to its present position. The arm 12 is then swung to one side or the other till the arm 13 is brought adjacent to the car, and next the arm 13 is rotated upon the arm 12 till its lower end enters the doorway, when, by swinging the arm 12, the arm 13 will be carried into the car. Any suitable means may be employed to lock the arm 12 in its posi tion, such as the nut 15 on the threaded end 14 of the standard 11. V

The means shown for revolubly attaching the receiving and delivering arm 13 comprises a sleeve 16', which is either attached to or made integral with the receiving and delivering arm 13 and which is adapted to slide longitudi nally upon the arm 12. This sleeve is slotted to receive splines 17, that are attached to and extend along the arm 12. Means are also provided for locking the sleeve in the retracted position upon the arm 12, in which the splines enter the slots and prevent the sleeve from turning upon the armas, for example, the hook-shaped part 18, that is hinged to the nut 19, the latter being screwed upon the threaded end of the arm 12. hen the hook is turned down into the position shown in Fig. 4;, the sleeve 16 and arm 13 cannot slide outwardly, but when the hook is raised out of the way the distance between the arm 13 and the nut 19 is such that the sleeve 16 and arm 13 can he slid outwardly till the sleeve is withdrawn from the splines 17. The nut 19 can be adjusted upon the threaded end 20 of the arm 12 to the proper distance. In place of this locking device or in addition thereto a screwbolt 21 in the sleeve 16 may be employed to engage the arm 12 and to lock the sleeve to it. It is not intended to limit the invention either to the means shown for revolubly attaching the carrying and delivering arm to the standard or to those shown for locking it in position, but, on the contrary, to claim all equivalent means as well, whereby these same results are obtained.

The bags that are to be taken up by the car and those also that are to be delivered from the car are hung from frames 22, that are removably placed upon the arms 5 and 13, respectively. These frames 22 are the same in construction, so that they can be used interchangeably, though when that is done they are reversed upon the arms, as will be seen.

The frames 22 are rectangular, and the bags X are hung upon hooks 23, that project from a slide 24, that fits the undercut groove 25 in each of the end pieces of the frame. A crossbar 26 is rigidly fastened in the frame in the position shown in Fig. 1, so that there is suflicient space between said bar and the end rail 27 of the frame to receive the ends of the arms 5 and 13, as shown in Fig. 1. A slid ing frame comprising the cross-pieces 28 and 29 and side pieces 30 3O lies within the frame 22 and is adapted to slide therein between guides 31 31. The space between the crosspieces 28 and 29 is also adapted to receive the ends of the arms 5 and 13. A spring 32 is interposed between the sliding frame and the end piece 34: of the main frame 22, and another spring between the sliding frame and cross-bar 26, so that said sliding frame is held in position to receive that end of the delivering and receiving arm to which the frame 22 is to be transferred and can adjust itself to the arm.

The operation of the device will be understood readily. The arm5 upon the stationary standard having been set at the proper height and position with reference to the car from which it is to receive and deliver mail-bags, one of the frames 22, with mail-bags hung upon it, is placed upon that end of the arm 5 that points in the direction in which the passing train will go, the end of the arm 5 being passed between the end piece 27 of the frame 22 and the fixed cross-bar 26. As the frame 22 is shoved upon the end of the arm 5 it will compress the spring 10, so that the frame will be held firmly upon the arm, and yet can be easily removed therefrom. The delivering and receiving arm 13, that is carried by the car, is likewise set with reference to the other arm at the proper height and position, and one of the frames 22, with the mail-bags hung upon it, is placed upon that end of the arm 13 that points in the opposite direction from that in which the train is going, the end of the arm 13 also being passed between the end piece 27 of the frame 22 and the fixed crossbar 26: As in the other case, the spring 35 will hold the frame firmly upon the arm, and yet so that it can be easily removed. As the train passes the stationary standard alongside the track the foremost end of the arm 13 passes into the sliding frame that is held within the main frame 1f the sliding frame 5 is not accurately placed with reference to the arm 13, the spring 32 or the spring 33, as the case may be. will be compressed till the sliding frame is centered with reference to the arm 13. It may be, too, that the car has been so loaded that the adjustment of the arm 13 with reference to the arm 5 has been disturbed or that the speed of the train causes the car to sway to one side or the other out of line. The springcon trolled sliding frame meets either of these contingencies. hen the arm 13 has been driven into the frame up to the spring 35, it will be compressed, and the yielding resistance thus introduced will relieve the frame from the shock of the impact which otherwise might be sufiicient to damage the frame or wrench the bags off from it. The spring 35 is represented as in one piece that is secured at its center, as by screws 36, to a shoulder 37 on the arm 13, and as having its ends engage the arm 13 near its ends, respectively. At

veaoor the same time oppositely-directed ends of the arm 5 enter the other frame 22, that hangs from the arm 13 in position to be delivered therefrom, the sliding frame within the main frame 22 adjusting itself to the arm 5 by means of the spring 32 or 33, whichever it may be that must yield, and the spring 10 receiving and taking up the shock of impact.

3y tapering the ends of the arms 5 and 13 as represented the arms more surely enter the frame, and it need not be so accurately adjusted, as would otherwise be necessary. The frame is, moreover, guided to its position upon the arms by its tapered end.

Of course if the train is moving in the opposite direction the frames are placed upon the opposite ends of the arms 5 and 13, respectively. A frame 22, that is to be used to deliver mail from the car when it has previously been used to deliver it from the stationary standard, and vice versa, is turned end for end, so that the sliding frame which it carries will always be in position to receive the arm that catches the frame, and the slide 24 is changed to the slot in the other end rail of the frame, so that the bags will hang suspended from it. One or several bags may be transferred to or from the car in the manner described.

in Fig. 2 modifications are shown of several of the features described above. There the horizontal arms 38 and 39, by which the bag carrying frames are delivered and received, are turned at right angles to their respective positions in Fig. 1 and are attached in those positions to the standards 1 and L1, respectively. The arm 38 is attached to the standard 1 by means of a bracket 12, similar to the bracket 9 shown in Fig. 1, by substantially the same means shown there. The supporting-arm 4:3 is also the same as that shown in Figs. 1 and 4: already described, but is attached. to the standard ll by a somewhat different device. The standard a1 has an undercut longitudinal slot 4%, that receives a block 45, which latter is attached to the inner end of the sLmporting-arm 14, so that said block is retained within said slot, but is adapted to slide longitudinally with reference to said standard. A bolt M5 in the standard 41 engages the block 455 to lock it in position. the arm 38 can be adjusted and both the supporting-arm 4:3 and the delivering and receiving arm 39 removed from the standard 41.

Figs. 5 and 6 show a portion of the standard 41 and the means for rotating it upon its axis and for lockingit in position. The lower part L? of the standard is attached to the floor of the car in any suitable manner. A shaft 48 extends down from the upper part 41 of the standard and enters a recess in its lower part 17, within which it is rotative. A block 49 is attached to the part 41 by a hinge 50. The part 41 of the standard is recessed at 51, and this recess is extended, as at 52, on one side Thus the height of of the lower part a? of the standard and 43 on its other side, so that the recess 51. in connection with either the recess or 53, will contain the block 49. hen the block lies within the recess, as shown in Fig. (5, the upper part a1 of the standard cannot be turned, but if the block is raised into the position shown in Fig. 5 the upper part 41 of the standard can be rotated for the purpose of manipulating the supporting-arm as and the delivering and receiving arm in the manner described with reference to Fig. 1 to bring them into the car.

In the frame 10 (shown in Fig. 2) there is a fixed cross-piece 5a and other [ixed cross-pieces, 55 55, at rightangles thereto. The frames are placed upon the arms 38 and 39, so that they lie within the space between these pieces, and leaf-sprin on the frame hold them lirmly in place. Movable cross-bars 56 and 57, separated by coiled springs 58 and 59, attached to said bars near their ends, and springs 60 and 61 are interposed between the fixed cross-bars 54 and the end rail 61, respectively. \V hen the arms 38 and 39, respectively, take the frame from the other arm, they enter between the movable bars 56 and 57. One of the springs 60 yields so that the bars adjust themselves to the entering bar and the coiled springs 58 pull the opposite bar down upon the arm. The bags are suspended from books 62in a slide in a recessed groove in the bottom rail. WV hen this style of frame is used, it is not necessary to transfer the slide to its other end.

In Fig. 3 several other modilications are shown. The stationary standard is there represented as attached to a platform Y alongside the traclt, and the standard carried by the car is shown upon a rail 6%, that extends transversely across the floor of the car from. the doorway on one side to that on the other. Both these standards are the same in construction as that shown in Fig. 2 within the car and already described exceptthat the undercut longitudinal slots in their upper sections 65 and 66, res1 )ectively, are extended down to near the lower end of these sections and that the lower section 67 of the stationary section attached to the platform Y by means of bolts 68 in slots, after the manner of the stationary standard 1 shown in Fig. 2, while the under side of the lower section 70 is slotted and undercutto receive and hold to the beveled rail 6%. Blocks 71 are attached to the upper sections 65 and 66 of these stand ards by liinges 752, that enterslots in the sections, thcrebyloclcing them togetherin thesame manner that has been described with reference to Fig. 2-, although this locking device is not seen on the standard within the car and the slot is not seen on the opposite sides of the lower section of the stationary standard, which is brought into use when the stationary standard is turned about so that its arm 72) projects in the oppois that here each standard employs two arms f to deliver the bags and receive them instead of one. one above the other in proper positions by the supporting-arms and 76, respectively, which are adjustably attached to the stationary standard by blocks 77 and '78, (shown in dotted lines,) respectively, which latter lie within the longitudinal slot in the upper section 65 of the standard, The arms 79 and 80 are supported in the same way by the supporting-arms 81 and 82, respectively, which are adjustably attached to the standard located within the car by blocks 83 and 84:, respectively, which latter lie within the longitudinal slot in the upper section 66 of this standard. Bolts 85 and 86 lock the blocks 77 and 83, respectively, in position, while the blocks '78 and Set areadapted to lie at the bottom of their respective slots.

The supporting-arms 75, T6, 81, and 82 are all the same in construction as the arm 12 that extends out from the car in Fig. 1, and the receiving and delivering arms '73, 74c, 80, and 81 are the same as the arm 18 shown in that figure and have springs 87, 88, 89, and 90 attached to them, respectively, for the same purpose and in the same way that the spring 35 is attached to the arm 13.

The frames that are hung upon the delivering and receiving arms and by which the bags X are hung are somewhat different from those described above, and here the bags are stretched between two frames. All those shown in Fig. 3 are the same. They comprise end pieces 91 and 92, that are connected by and rigidly attached to rods 93 93. Between the end pieces are two bars 94 and 95, that are adapted to slide upon said rods 93 93 and which are separated by the springs 96 96 and are held in proper relation to the end pieces 91 and 92 for the admission between them and said end pieces of the receiving and delivering arms by coiled springs 97 97, that are attached at one end to an end piece 91 and at the other end to one of the sliding bars 94. If the car shown in Fig. 3 is moving from right to left, the bag-carrying frames that are to be taken up by the car are suspended upon the delivering-arms 73 and 88, respectively, which are so set with reference to each other that the bag X is held extended between them. The receiving-arms 79 and 80 The arms 73 and Tet are supported will enter the frame between the arms 91 and f 94;. The shock of the impact will be met and relieved by the springs 89 and 90, as in form shown in Fig. 1, and also by the springs 96 in the frame, as is the casein the construction shown in Fig. 2. The other frames that stationary standard are placed in the same way upon the arms 79' and 80 and are received in the sameway by the arms 73 and 7a.

\Vhat 1 claim is 1. In a device for receiving and delivering mailbags from a car in motion, the combination of a delivering-arm and a receiving-arm; supports for said arms, respectively, adapted to hold them in definite positions with reference to each other; a bag-carnving frame; means for attaching one or more bags to said frame; means for removably attaching said frame to said delivering-arm; a sliding frame carried by said bag-carrying frame,and adapted to receive and engage said receiving-arm as one of said arms passes the other, whereby said bag-carrying frame is transferred from the delivering-arm to the receiving-arm.

2. In a device for receiving and delivering mail-bags from a car in motion, the combination of a delivering-arm and a receiving-arm; supports for said arms, respectively, adapted to hold them in definite positions with reference to each other; a bag-carrying frame; means for attaching one or more bags to said frame; means for removably attaching said frame to said delivering-arm; a spring-controlled sliding frame, carried by said bag-carrying frame, adapted to engage and adjust itself upon said reccivingarm, as one of said arms passes the other, whereby said bagcar rying frame is transferred from the delivering-arm to the receiving-arm; substantially as shown and described.

3. In a device for receiving and delivering mail-bags from a car in motion, the combination of a delivering-arm and a receiving-arm;

supports for said arms, respectively; meansfor adjusting the height of one of said arms upon its support, with reference to the other arm; means for removably supporting one or more mail-bags upon one of said arms so that they are caught up by the other said arm, as said arms pass one another.

a. In a device for receiving and delivering mail-bags from a car in motion, the combination of a delivering-arm and a receiving-arm; supports for said arms, respectively, adapted to hold them horizontally; means for adjusting said arms in their respective horizontal planes, with reference to each other; means for removably supporting one or more mailbags upon one of said arms so that they are caught up by the other said arm, as said arms pass one another.

5. In a device for receiving and delivering mailbags from a car in motion, the combination of an arm for. delivering or receiving mail-bags; a standard comprising an upper section 11 having a down wardly-directed shaft %8 and recessed at 51 at its lower end, and a lower section 47 having a recess adapted to receive said shaft as and also having recesses and 53 in its sides; the block i9 hinged to are employed to deliver from the car to the i said upper section and adapted to lie in said teaser recesses 51 and 52 or said recesses 51 and 5;); and connections between the upper section of the standard and said arm, whereby said arm is held in a horizontal position out in front of said standard; substantially as shown and described.

6. In a device for receiving and delivering mail-bags from a car in motion, the combination of adelivering-arm and a receiving-arm; supports for said arms, respectively, adapted to held them in definite positions with reference to each other; means for removably supporting one or more mail-bags upon said delivering-arm, in position to engage said receiving-arm, as one of said arms passes the other; and a spring, interposed between said receiving-arm and said bag-supporting means, and attached to one of said parts to receive the impact of said parts.

7. In a device for receiving and delivering mail-bags from a car in motion, the combination of adelivering-arm and a receiving-arm; supports for said arms, respectively, adapted to hold them in definite positions with reference to each other; means for removablysupporting one or more mail-bags upon said dolivering-arm, in position to engage said receiving-arm, as one of said arms passes the other; and springs upon said receiving-arm, and said bag-supporting means, respectively, both of said springs being adapted to receive the impact of said parts upon one another.

8. In a device for receiving and delivering mail-bags from a car in motion, the combination of a delivering-arm, and a receiving-arm; supports for said arms, respectively, adapted to hold them in definite positions with reference to each other; a bag-carrying frame, adapted to engage said receiving-arm as one of said arms passes the other; means for attaching one or more bags to said frame; a spring attached to said receiving-arm, and adapted to be engaged by said bag-carrying frame and to be compressed, whereby the impact of said parts is relieved.

9. In a device for receiving and delivering mail-bags from a car in motion, the combination of a delivering-arm and a receiving-arm; supports for said arms, respectively, adapted to hold them in definite positions with reference to each other; a bag-carrying frame adapted to engage said receiving-arm as one of said arms passes the other; means for attaching one or more bags to said frame; springs attached to said receiving-arm and said bagcarrying frame, respectively, both adapted to be compressed by the impact of said parts upon one another.

10. In a device for receiving and delivering mail-bags from a car in motion, the combination of delivering and receiving arms; supports for said arms, respectively; connections between said arms and said supports, respectively, adapted to hold said arms horizontal and parallel with reference to each other; a bagamt carrying frame, adapted to hang upon either end of said delivering-arms, and, when so hung, to receive the other of said arms; a springseeu red to, and extending along said receiving-arm and adapted to be compressed by the impact of said frame upon said receivingarm at either of its ends.

11. In a device for receiving and delivering mail-bags from a car in motion, the combination of an arm for delivering or receiving mail-bags; a standard; a rail adapted for attachment to the floor of a car, and to extend from the doorway on one side to that on the other side; means for attaching the standard to the rail, whereby said standard is movable upon said rail from one side of the car to the other; a supporting-arm for said bag delivering and receiving arm, adapted to project be yond the car; means for attaching said supporting-arm to said standard, whereby it can be swung horizontally thereon; means for attaching said bag delivering and receiving arm to said supporting-arm, whereby it can be swung in its vertical plane; and means for locking said last-mentioned parts.

12. In a device for receiving and delivering mail-bags from a car in motion, the combination of a delivering and receiving arm; a bagcarrying frame adapted to hang upon either end of said delivering-arn'i; means for attaching one or more bags to said. frame; a receiving-arm, either end of which is adapted to engage said frame, and having both ends tapered; standards for said arms, respectively; and connections between said arms and said standards, respectively, adapted to engage said arms between their ends and to hold them horizontal and parallel with each other.

13. In a device for receiving and delivering mail-bags from a car in motion, the combination of the delivering and receiving arm 13; a suitable standard; the supporting-arm 12, attached to and adapted to be swung horizontally upon said standard; the sleeve 16, connected to said arm 13 and adapted to rotate upon said arm 12; and means for locking said sleeve 16 fast to said arm 12.

1 1. In a device for receiving and delivering mail-bags from a car in motion, the combination of the delivering and receiving arm 13; a suitable standard; the supporting-arm 12 attached to and adapted to be swunghorizontally upon said standard, and having the splines 17 lengthwise along it, at one end; the sleeve 16 attached to said arm 13, adapted to rotate upon said arm 12, recessed to receive said splines 17, and adapted to be withdrawn from said splines; and means for locking said sleeve 16 fast to said arm 12; substantially as shown and described.

WVILLLMVI RINGWOOI). \Vitnesses:

D. GURNEE, L. THON. 

